I’m Christy, wife to Jeff and Momma to four amazing kiddos, Avery (10), Karsen (7), Cohen (5) and Bereket (3). Here is a little bit about how we followed God’s call for our family.The summer of 2006 we watched a special on Africa and I looked at my husband Jeff and said, “I think we need a little boy from Africa!” With a five year old, a two year old and a fussy three month old he looked at me like I had two heads!
I started reading blogs about adoption, specifically Ethiopia, and praying that God would turn Jeff’s heart in the adoption direction. God did a mighty work in Jeff’s heart and after two and a half years and lots of prayer we started our journey.
On December 18, 2008 we faxed over our application to our adoption agency and jumped in with both feet to adopt a little boy, 1-3 years old. From January, 2010 to May of that same year we worked tirelessly to compile our dossier and on May 22, 2010 we joined our agency’s wait list as #97.
Exactly 10 months later, on March 22, 2010, we got the call of our lives. Our case worker had information and pictures of our son, it was our referral day! Bereket Abota was 26 months old and a teeny tiny 16 pounds. One look at him and we knew he was who God intended to join our family!
On May 11, 2010 we passed court in Ethiopia and got a phone call that Bereket Abota was legally our son in the eyes of the Ethiopian Government.
June 17, 2010 we boarded the first of many planes that would take us to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We spent a week in Ethiopia soaking up our child’s culture and bonding with our son. On June 27 we landed at the airport and were greeted by 50 or so of our family and friends. Our kids met their brother and we were a family of six!
That was just the beginning of our journey…We’ve been home just over a year and it has been a year of intense joy and intense pain. We brought home a very sad, scared and angry little boy. He quickly became attached to us but at the turn of a hat would become violent, it was heartbreaking. I am so blessed to say that the hurting little boy who came into our family is now a hilarious, spunky, goofy little guy that charms everyone in his path. There is obviously still hurt in his heart but he’s processing it all and as he processes we get to hear about his life in Ethiopia, a true honor to hear. It has been such a blessing in our family to help him grieve and learn to live in a structured family. As a result we have become more compassionate and our kids have learned so much about loving people where they are at and loving with Christ’s unconditional love.As Bereket was severely malnourished for almost three years of his life we knew that he would have some medical issues but we would quickly learn that we would spend multiple days a week going to doctor appointments. We currently have eleven specialists and are preparing for his third and fourth surgeries. My heart breaks when Bereket is in pain but I can’t help but think during each appointment what his life would have been like had he stayed in Ethiopia. Through all of his medical issues we have learned to trust God daily, knowing that He has Bereket in His hands and He knows what our son needs.Adoption begins in pain, a birth family making an excruciating decision. But on the other side is a family who receives the gift of a lifetime. In God’s amazing grace we have been given the honor of being Bereket’s family. Not a day goes by that I don’t think back to that huge decision to adopt, and every time I think on it I am humbled that God chose us for this journey; a journey of love!
It turns out we did “need” a little boy from Africa… a little boy that would change the way our family looks at the world and move us to live our lives for others and not for ourselves!Gladheim Family, photo taken in August 2010, shortly after we returned from Ethiopia with Bereket.Bereket, photo taken in May 2011.Christy’s Blog- check it out here.
